


Diagon Alley

by Maraudererasmut



Series: Wolfstar Shorts [32]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Developing Relationship, Diagon Alley, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Fluff and Angst, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Leaky Cauldron, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Marauders' Era, Pack Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-10 21:51:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16463000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maraudererasmut/pseuds/Maraudererasmut
Summary: The Marauders (and Lily) meet up in Diagon Alley to do their shopping for the upcoming school year. Unfortunately, everything feels different these days: the wizarding community seems to be on edge, waiting for the next attack from Voldemort. The boys try to keep things lighthearted as they anxiously wait for September to arrive.





	1. Sirius and Remus

**Author's Note:**

> This is a chaptered work! I'm hoping to really flesh out this day in Diagon Alley.
> 
> It's gonna be short and very "slice of life" I think, focusing mostly on their relationships with each other and the world around them... I'm kinda just seeing where this story takes me!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Remus was sitting alone, sipping his coffee, when a pair of hands abruptly startled him. He snapped his head around only to find Sirius and his shit-eating grin standing behind the chair. 

 

“Jesus, Sirius! Don't sneak up on me like that! I almost punched you!”

 

“Good morning to you too, Moony!” Sirius pulled out an empty seat at the table and plopped himself down next to the werewolf. “And  _ oh boy _ , good thing you didn't  _ punch me _ . That would have hurt  _ so much _ …” Sirius’ voice was dripping with sarcasm as he casually crossed his legs on top of the table and swung his arm over the back of his chair.

 

“The hell are you doing here this early?” Remus asked, checking his watch and ignoring the snide remark. “You're never awake at this hour on the weekend…”

 

Sirius shrugged, sweeping his hair back from his eyes. 

 

“Iunno… thought I'd come and keep you company. Figured you'd already be here. It's  _ you _ , after all…”

 

“Where's James?”

 

Sirius was living at James’ family home, and it was unusual for one to leave the house without the other.

 

“Beats me. Probably sleeping? Didn't bother to check…”

 

Remus raised an eyebrow curiously but didn't press the subject. Sirius was up to something, he could tell, but he hadn't figured out what yet.

 

“Fine, okay… well, thanks for the company… but we're still gonna wait for everyone before we go shopping…”

 

The Marauders  _ (and Lily) _ had planned to meet in Diagon Alley at noon to buy their books and supplies for the following school year. According to Remus’ wristwatch, it was half past nine. He had expected to have the morning to himself to sit and enjoy. He loved being in Diagon Alley, watching the wizards pass by, scurrying about their daily lives. Remus would occasionally pretend that he was one of them: a normal wizard leading a normal life, not a care in the world. It was one of the few moments of respite he had in his whirlwind of a summer, and he had been looking forward to the alone time.

 

“Sounds good to me. Maybe I'll get a coffee, too…” Sirius mused, not paying attention to Remus’ mildly disappointed expression. Remus shrugged and brought his mug to his lips, letting the smell and warmth from his morning drink wash over him. 

 

Setting his mug down on the table, Lupin spoke up.

 

“You know, we're gonna be waiting here a while. The boys won't be here 'til noon…”

 

“Okay, what would you normally do until then?”

 

Remus looked at his hands, wrapped around the porcelain cup. 

 

“Iunno, just sit here, I guess…”

 

“So let's do that…”

 

Remus eyes Sirius suspiciously. He was acting strange, but Lupin couldn't quite place what was wrong.

 

“Why are you here, Sirius?”

 

“I told you, I wanted to keep you company.”

 

Sirius was staring off into the distance, not looking at anything in particular. His expression was calm, vacant. He didn't make eye contact with his boyfriend.

 

“Things okay with you and James?”

 

“Yeah. They're fine…”

 

He was being dodgy.

 

“Sere, what's wrong?”

 

Sirius looked at Remus, deep grey eyes flooding with an emotion that the werewolf couldn't read. 

 

“You know there's a war, right?”

 

Remus gave his boyfriend a look.

 

“I'm not dense, Padfoot.”

 

“Then why are you asking what's wrong?” He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was entirely obvious what was on his mind. As if it was on everyone's mind, all the time. The entire wizarding community, all worrying about the same thing. Remus’ stomach churned as his shoulders tensed. He should have figured it out. 

 

“I'm sorry…” It was all Remus could manage to say. He didn't have any comforting words to offer.

 

“Don't be. You have your own shit to worry about, I get it.”

 

Remus looked at his hands, fiddling with the handle on his coffee cup. Of course he didn't notice the tension in the air. Of course he couldn't see how stressed the rest of the wizarding world was. To Remus, everyday was like that. He woke up every morning terrified, knowing that his perfect life could fall apart at any moment. With 'war’ on everyone's lips, hanging ominously in the air over people's heads, the rest of society was catching up to the feelings that Remus had experienced his entire life.

 

“You… doing okay?”

 

Sirius shrugged. 

 

“I'll be fine once school starts. I always am.”

 

It was strange seeing Sirius this pensive: he normally hid behind his humour, covering up feelings of anxiety with dark jokes and snide comments. Remus realized that his boyfriend was relaxed around him, willing to allow the werewolf to see the real Sirius, behind all of his feeble attempts at hiding his pain.

 

“Yeah… September can't come fast enough…”

 

The two boys sat for a while in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. There wasn't much to talk about; no good news to share, no fun stories to tell. The state of the world was getting worse by the second, and they didn't have castle walls to hide behind during the summer months.

 

“Hey, didn't you say you wanted a coffee or something? I can get you one…” Remus tried to fill the void of silence with inane chatter. 

 

“Remus, I'm joining the Order once we graduate.”

 

Lupin looked at his boyfriend, trying to absorb what he just heard. To him, the statement came out of nowhere, but he was positive that Sirius must have been mulling it over in his head for some time.

 

“Okay… Is that a no for coffee, then?”

 

“Did you hear me? I said I'm joining the Order…”

 

“Yeah, I heard you. What do you want me to say, that I'm upset at you for risking your life? 'Cause I'm not. I think it's a great idea. I'm joining, too.”

 

Sirius looked up and met Remus’ gaze, a look of surprise plastered to his face.

 

“You are?”

 

“Of course… you don't think they could use a… Well, someone like me? I could come in handy…”

 

Sirius pulled his feet down from the table and leaned towards Remus, gently taking his hand and entwining their fingers together.

 

“So… you're not mad?”

 

“No. Why, do you want me to be?” The corners of Sirius’ mouth began to curl up slightly. 

 

“I just thought--”

 

“Sirius, I love you. But I'm not going to tell you not to do something that you want to do, just because it might be dangerous. Not anymore…” Remus remembered the fight he had with the Marauders when they first suggested becoming animangi. “If it's important to you, it's important to me. I mean, coincidentally this is  _ also _ something important to me, but in general, even if it was something I didn't get, I wouldn't be upset at you for following your instincts…”

 

Sirius’ grip on Remus’ hand tightened.

 

“Thanks, Reme. I love you.”

 

“Yeah, I know you do. You say it all the damn time.”

 

“I just don't want you to forget it.” Sirius pressed a kiss against Remus’ cheek, nuzzling him gently. He could feel Remus’ smile broaden against his lips.

 

“Hey, Pads…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Let's walk around. I'm tired of sitting…” Remus stood up, pulling his boyfriend gently to his feet. “Why don't we check out the Magical Menagerie… you need a new owl, right?” 

 

Sirius grinned and swung his arm around Remus’ shoulders. 

 

“Sounds like a plan…”


	2. James and Lily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James picks up Lily and the two of them head to Diagon Alley to spend the day with friends.
> 
> War is in the air. Everyone is stressed. James is having trouble sharing his emotions with Lily. Lily is feeling the same way.

Lily heard the horn honking outside as she was just finishing getting ready. She quickly ran a brush through her hair before sliding out of her room and running down the stairs.

 

“Bye Mum, bye Dad!” she called over her shoulder as she sped past the kitchen.

 

“Wait just a moment, young lady!” Lily let out an exasperated sigh as she paused at the front door. “Where do you think you're going?” Lily rolled her eyes and scampered back to the kitchen, stopping in the threshold. 

 

“James is here, I have to go!” 

 

Mr. Evans smiled over his newspaper, raising an eyebrow in a very Lily-like way. 

 

“ _ James _ ?”

 

“Yes,  _ Dad. _ James. He's my classmate. We're buying school supplies.”

 

“Classmate, eh?” Mr Evans had a smirk on his face as Lily's cheeks began to flush.

 

“ _ Dad! _ ”

 

“Oh, stop tormenting her! Goodbye, Lily! Have a nice day with your friends.” Mrs. Evans entered the kitchen to chastise her husband.

 

Lily turned to leave but Mr. Evans spoke up.

 

“You're not planning to leave here without a kiss, are you?” Lily groaned and slumped over to her father, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Goodbye, Sweetpea. Don't get into trouble, alright?”

 

“ _ Dad… _ ” 

 

“Okay, okay, go meet  _ James _ . You don't want to keep him waiting!” The smirk on his face never wavered, and Lily could hear her mother scold him as she slipped out of the kitchen.

 

When Lily opened the front door, she saw the car: James’ beat-up old Ford, brightly coloured and obviously on its last legs. It was fully muggle and he was absolutely crazy about it. Lily waved at James as she approached the turquoise monstrosity and her boyfriend peeked his head out the window. 

 

“Mornin’ Lils!”

 

“Good morning, James.”

 

She couldn't help but grin. James was charming on a regular day, but whenever he saw Lily, his face seemed to light up, as if he was seeing her again for the first time. 

 

“Wow, you look amazing…”

 

Lily rolled her eyes. She wasn't dressed particularly nice that day, and she hardly had any makeup on. She knew she'd be spending the day walking around, so she preferred to be comfortable over fashionable. 

 

As Lily slid into the passenger seat of the car, James leaned in to kiss her. She pulled away slightly, glancing at the house over her shoulder. James furrowed his brow suspiciously.

 

“What's wrong?”

 

“I just… I don't want my parents to see…”

 

“What, you haven't told them you have a boyfriend?” James said jokingly. Lily gave him a guilty expression, causing his dopey grin to falter. “You didn't tell them you have a boyfriend?” 

 

“Not yet, no. I… I wanted to wait until it was serious…” 

 

James tried to hide his disappointment.

 

“Sorry to break it to you, Lily, but I think Sirius is gay.”

 

Lily gave James a playful shove as she laughed at his joke. He smiled back, but there was something missing from it; his eyes didn't have their usual spark in them. Lily glanced over her shoulder one more time before leaning in and kissing James on the cheek. 

 

“I will tell them, I promise. I just… I don't… I don't really know how to introduce you to them. Once they know about you, they'll want to meet you…”

 

“So?” Lily had met Mr. and Mrs. Potter on numerous occasions. James was proud to call her his girlfriend and he loved being able to show her off to the world; it disappointed him that Lily didn't see him the same way. Lily took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts.

 

“I just… I don't want to have to do the whole…  _ family dinner _ thing…” James stared at Lily, waiting for an explanation. “Look, with Petunia dating someone, I'm sure my parents will make us all get together and… and I didn't want to have to do that yet. I'm enjoying this, James. I don't want to ruin it with family nonsense…”

 

James nodded solemnly. He knew that Lily's relationship with her sister was strained, and he didn't want to pressure her into doing anything she wasn't ready for. If that meant her keeping this relationship a secret, so be it.

 

“Right!” James was ready to change the subject to something happier. “Ready for Diagon Alley?” He forced himself to smile. Lily wasn't buying it, but she played along for the sake of changing the conversation.

 

“Yes! I have a list of stuff I need. Some supplies. A few books. I'm taking N.E.W.T. potions, so I need a lot of new ingredients…” Lily continued listing off various items that she needed to buy on their trip to Diagon Alley as James pulled out into the road and began to drive. “So, we're meeting the boys at noon, yeah?”

 

“Mmhmm.” James nodded his head, never taking his eyes from the road. Lily was perceptive; he didn't want her to notice that he wasn't quite himself.

 

“We'll probably get there by ten… any idea what you wanna do until they get there?”

 

James’ ears began to turn pink. He knew what he wanted to do, but it probably wasn't what was on Lily's mind when she asked her question.

 

“Iunno, figured we could walk around or something,” he murmured.

 

“Sure, sounds like a plan!” James didn't respond. Lily tried to break the uncomfortable silence with more idle chatter. “So how's your  _ boyfriend _ ? Anything new?”

 

There was a lot of new stuff going on in Sirius’ life, but it wasn't James’ place to share his best friend's secrets. He thought about telling Lily about Andromeda and Sirius’ efforts to reacquaint himself with his cousin. He thought about telling Lily about Sirius and Remus and how James was beginning to worry about them. He thought of telling Lily about Sirius’ plans to join the Order after Hogwarts and how he's fleshed them out far more than anyone had previously thought. Instead, he gave an indifferent shrug as a response.

 

“Yeah, he decided he wanted to make the bike fly, so we're doing some research and working on charming it.”

 

“Oh  _ goody _ . That's exactly what we need. Sirius on a flying motorbike.” Lily tried to give James a playful grin until she noticed that his expression seemed off. “...James?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What's wrong?”

 

James kept his eyes ahead of him, pretending to focus on his driving.

 

“Nothing, why do you ask?”

 

“ _ James…” _

 

“I'm fine, Lily. Don't worry.”

 

“Is it… is it because I didn't tell my parents about you? If it's really bothering you that much, I can introduce you to them. I'm sorry. I probably should have done that earlier…”

 

“It's fine, Lils. You can tell them when you're ready…”

 

While James had originally been upset by Lily's decision to hide their relationship, that wasn't where his mind was now. He was thinking about Sirius. 

 

“James, talk to me. Don't hide things from me.”

 

James briefly glanced over at Lily, sitting beside him, green doe eyes shining brightly with concern. He let out a deep exhale and shook his head.

 

“You're too damn cute for your own good, you know that? It's so hard keeping things from you…”

 

“So don't…”

 

“I don't want to… it just isn't my secret to tell…”

 

“Remus…” Lily was aware that Lupin was keeping something significant from her and that all the boys were in on it. She was used to the Marauders keeping that information from her, and she knew better than to ask.

 

“Not this one, no… I just… it's Sirius…”

 

“Sirius?”

 

“Yeah, I'm a bit worried about him…”

 

“Because of his brother?” Lily had been there when Sirius discovered that his brother was a Death Eater. It had been a stressful few weeks after that, with James’ mind focusing on his best friend.

 

“No… I…” James took a deep breath and clutched the steering wheel tightly. “I'm worried about them, Lils…”

 

“...Them?”

 

“Sirius and Remus. The two of them. Sirius hasn't told Remus that he's planning to join the Order...There’s… there’s a lot of stuff that he hasn’t told Remus, actually. I just can't help but feel that the two of them getting together was a huge mistake. If it doesn't work out, then our friendship is over. The Marauders are over. I feel shitty for letting any of this happen in the first place…”

 

Lily reached over and placed a hand gently on James’ arm.

 

“You didn’t  _ let _ them do anything. They chose to be together. You’re not responsible for everyone else’s happiness, James. It’s not your job to take care of them. It’s about time you learned that.”

 

James kept his eyes straight ahead, contemplating his next words carefully.

 

“Lily… do you think things will turn out okay?” 

 

He wasn’t referring to Sirius and Remus. He wasn’t referring to Lily and himself. James was referring to the world at large. The world that was on the brink of destruction, war raging on and marring every face, casting a shadow across the entire wizarding community. Lily didn’t answer for a while. She sat beside James, hand still resting on his arm. 

 

“I don’t know…”

 

The couple sat in silence as they drove to the Leaky Cauldron. After a while, James clicked on the radio and Lily was grateful for the distraction. It wasn't until James parked the car that either of them spoke again. 

 

“So… ready to buy some school supplies?” James asked awkwardly.

 

“James…”

 

“Hmm?” James looked at Lily, trying to read her face.

 

“James, I…” Lily paused. She wanted to say something smart, something sweet, something that would help fix their problems and cheer her boyfriend up. Instead, all she could think about was how soft his deep brown eyes were and how much she wanted to run her hands through his messy dark hair. She thought about how her heart always sped up when James flashed her his smile and how safe she always felt in his arms. “James, let's do dinner at my parents’ place next weekend. I think it's about time I introduced you to them…”

 

“Lily, you don't have to, I get that--”

 

“I know I don't have to,” she interrupted. “I want to.” Lily looked down at her hands, weighing her next words carefully. 

 

_ I love you. _

 

It was too hard to say. She wasn't ready. Instead, she opted for something a bit easier.

 

“I love being around you. I love having you as my boyfriend.”

 

James smiled, his expression relaxing. He gave her a look, as if to say  _ I love you, too. _

 

“Lily Evans… you're the best thing in my life right now...asking you out was the greatest decision I ever made. You're the only thing in this crazy world that still feels… right…When I'm with you, the future seems less daunting.”

 

Lily reached out and ran her slender fingers through James’ fringe, sweeping the mop of hair out of his eyes.

 

“I'm excited for this year, James,” she said softly, her cheeks glowing red. “I can't wait for September… being Head Boy and Head Girl… spending all of our time together… This is going to be a good year.”

 

“Yeah… it is, isn't it…” James leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Lily's cheek, lingering slightly as he tucked a loose strand of orange hair behind her ear. “Ready for a fun day with friends?”

 

“Always.”

 

The couple got out of the car and headed into the pub hand-in-hand. The world was scarier these days, the future more terrifying than it had ever seemed. Despite the tension in the air and the hum of nervous chatter from surrounding wizards, Lily and James held their heads high and kept their spirits up, knowing that anything they had to face, they would face it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to give a bit more depth to the relationship between James and Lily. They're still a new couple, and unfortunately, they started dating during a stressful time. Their relationship is strained, despite their best efforts. The only thing they can do to keep things going is to be completely open and honest with each other.
> 
> I really like writing James and Lily juxtaposed next to Sirius and Remus. Lily is smart but she's also emotionally intelligent. Moreso than Sirius or Remus. She's able to keep her relationship healthy through proper communication. Poor Remus and Sirius struggle with that type of thing... Seeing the difference between the two couples and writing about them is interesting and exciting!


	3. Peter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter heads to Diagon Alley to go shopping for school supplies with his friends.

“Alright, Peter. Make sure you get everything on your list. You don’t want to forget anything! Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

 

“No, Mum, I’m fine. This is a friend thing, you can’t come.”

 

Peter was getting ready for his day in Diagon Alley with the Marauders. It was quarter to, and he wanted to get there early, just in case any of his friends arrived before noon. He was standing in the living room of his mother’s house, ready to Floo to his destination. Mrs. Pettigrew was fussing around him, making sure her precious boy looked presentable for his outing.

 

“Alright, Peter darling, have a wonderful day with your friends! I want you home by six at the  _ latest _ , we’re meeting with your grandparents for dinner tonight. I love you, sweetheart.” Mrs. Pettigrew planted a wet kiss on Peter’s cheek, leaving a fuschia stain in her wake. Peter hastily rubbed his face, trying to get rid of his mother’s lipstick.

 

“Bye, Mum…” He muttered, stepping towards the fireplace. He grabbed a pinch of Floo powder and tossed it into the flames. “Diagon Alley.” 

 

Peter stepped forward, feeling the world wrench around him, spinning him in circles, tossing him about. The sudden twisting in his stomach abruptly stopped as he stumbled through the other end of the fireplace into the wizarding shopping district. He glanced around, searching for familiar faces, hoping to spot his friends amongst the crowd of wizards. Peter checked his watch.

 

_ 11:50. I’m early. They still have time. _

 

Peter headed to Florean's and sat down on a table outside; Sirius loved the ice cream there, so it had been their designated meeting spot for years. Wormtail pulled his wand out from his pocket and absentmindedly began making the napkin dispenser float. Sometimes practicing magic helped him calm his nerves. Peter had spent eleven years alone, friendless, with nobody but his mother for company. Going to Hogwarts and meeting the boys, becoming a part of the Marauders, changed his life entirely. The day he started to learn magic,  _ real _ magic, was the day he was reborn into the person he was now. Perfecting his spells and working on his technique helped Peter remember that he wasn't alone anymore; he had his friends, he had Hogwarts, he had the entire wizarding community. 

 

Peter checked his watch.

 

_ 11:55. They still have time… it's not noon yet… _

 

Peter was beginning to worry, and no amount of convincing himself could change that. James and Sirius, he understood; being on time was never a specialty of Prongs and Padfoot. The two of them were late to everything. But Moony? Remus was always on time.  _ Always. _ In fact, barring extenuating circumstances, Remus was half an hour early to just about everything. The fact that he wasn't already waiting when Peter arrived was cause for concern.

 

Peter glanced at his watch.

 

_ 11:58. Calm down, Wormtail. It's not noon yet. _

 

He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. The boys would show up. They wouldn't leave him here alone. If they weren't planning on coming to Diagon Alley today, if anything had changed, someone would have sent him an owl.

 

_ 11:59… _

 

Unless they forgot about him. That was happening more and more lately; the boys would forget that Peter was still part of their group. Sirius and Remus were always together. Them being a couple had been cute at first, but their romantic crap had gotten annoying real fast. And James had Lily… Peter hated that Lily had become an unofficial Marauder. He hated how willing everyone was to let her join their group. She wasn't an animagus. She didn't spend one night each month running around the castle grounds with a werewolf. She didn't work on the map. She didn't know the secret passageways. She didn't pull pranks and hide in broom closets and lose points for Gryffindor and get detention.

 

_ 12:00 _ .

 

Lily was a distraction. James lost focus when he was around her. Instead of being their leader, being the crowned stag of their group, he was weak, susceptible. He would bend to her every whim, allowing his girlfriend to make the decisions in his life.

 

_ 12:02 _ .

 

Yes, Peter hated Lily. He had nothing against her personally, of course. He just hated the role that she played in tearing their family apart.

 

“Wormy!”

 

Peter looked up, snapping himself out of his negative spiral. Someone was here. They didn't forget about him. Glancing around, Wormtail saw two boys approaching his table. Sirius had an arm around Remus’ shoulders and was waving an enthusiastic greeting towards Peter. Moony was allowing himself to be dragged around by his boyfriend, looking resigned. He also seemed to be holding a cage containing a large brown owl, clearly not enjoying its day. As they got closer, Remus waved a hand towards his friend.

 

“Morning, Wormtail!” Moony sat into the chair beside Peter and set the cage down with a small clatter and a grumpy hoot. “Have you been waiting long?”

 

Peter lifted his wrist to look at his watch again. 

 

_ 12:05. Fifteen minutes. _

 

“No, not that long…” Peter shrugged, trying to seem aloof. “Why'd you bring your owl with on our shopping day?”

 

Remus glanced at the table where the owl was trying to hide its face in its wing. 

 

“Oh, he's not mine. And I didn't bring him with. Sirius bought him. He's been needing one for a while.”

 

“Isn't he great, Worms?” Sirius chimed in with a childish grin. 

 

Wormtail eyed the cage and the owl perched inside, trying not to let his face betray his emotions. He was upset, frustrated that Remus and Sirius met up early to buy stuff. Was he not good enough to have been invited? Was Peter so boring that they had to set aside Marauder-free shopping time? 

 

“Yeah, it's cool. Didn't you already have an owl though?”

 

Sirius ran his hand through his hair, subconsciously imitating James’ habit. 

 

“Yeah, I kinda lost that one when I ran away from home, remember?”

 

Peter didn't remember. He wasn't sure if Sirius ever told him that in the first place.

 

“Oh yeah, you're right. Yeah…”

 

Wormtail looked at his watch.

 

_ 12:10. Where’s James? _

 

“Oh, don't get so antsy, Worms, James'll be here.” Sirius noticed that Peter was one edge.

 

“Yeah… okay…”

 

Remus stood up, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder.

 

“I'm gonna get a cone. Want one?”

 

Peter nodded, thankful to be included. At least Remus still remembered that he existed.

 

“Yeah, the usual. Please.”

 

“One strawberry-and-peanut-butter, coming right up. Sere?”

 

“You know what I like,” Sirius grinned, casually flopping down into Remus’ recently vacated seat. Remus nodded and headed into the ice cream shop. Once he was out of sight, Sirius turned to Peter. 

 

“Don't tell Reme, but I'm planning to get him an owl for Christmas! He really needs one, and he seems so smitten by this little guy!” Sirius wiggled his finger lovingly through the bars of the cage, earning himself an aggressive nip from his new friend. He pulled his finger back with a yelp and sucked on the bleeding tip. “Fuck, that  _ hurt _ . Maybe I'll just give him this asshole…”

 

Peter laughed, an honest, full-bodied chuckle that spread through his expression. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed Sirius’ company and his constant joking. Sirius snickered along, reveling in his own stupidity.

 

“So, why  _ did _ you guys come early?” Peter asked, finally feeling less jealous. Sirius shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

 

“Iunno… guess I wanted to go on a date with Moons before we all met up. You know he's my boyfriend, right?” Sirius gave Peter a playful wink. Wormtail rolled his eyes. “I'm glad I did, though… it's fun to be with the Marauders, don't get me wrong… but sometimes it's really nice to get one-on-one time with Moons…” 

 

Peter looked at his hands, twisting his wand anxiously through his fingers. He hated that his friends all wanted one-on-one time with everyone but himself.

 

“Don't worry, Worms. You'll find someone…” Sirius was implying that Peter would find a girl to date. Wormtail had to resist the urge to yell at his friend, tell him he had no interest in dating. He didn't want  _ someone _ , he wanted his friends. And he wanted them to want him. “Ice cream!” 

 

Peter was startled by Sirius’ sudden outburst. He looked up and saw Remus walking towards them, three cones precariously perched in his hands. Moony doled out the frozen treats before kicking Padfoot's chair.

 

“Oi. My seat. Out.”

 

Sirius patted his lap, a smug grin playing on his lips. 

 

“This is your seat now.”

 

Remus gave his signature eye roll and paused for a second, as if considering whether or not Sirius’ lap was an acceptable substitute for a real chair. He glanced over to Peter, who was licking his ice cream, trying to politely ignore their shameless flirting. Moony decided against sitting on his Padfoot and opted instead to kick the chair a second time.

 

“Up.”

 

Sirius swung his feet up onto the table, making it abundantly clear that he had no intention of moving. Remus swiped the cone from his boyfriend's hand and began licking both ice creams that he was holding. 

 

“Oi! What was that for?!”

 

“You get it back when I get my seat.” 

 

Peter looked back down at his wand, worrying it between his fingers, trying not to pay attention to the laughter from the couple beside him.

 

“Oi! Prongs!”

 

Wormtail looked up to see Remus and Sirius mid-grapple, staring off into the distance. He followed their line of sight, only to spot a couple snogging in an alleyway between two shops. 

 

“Woo! Way to go, Prongsy!” Sirius pumped his fist in the air, garnering himself an abrupt smack in the head from his boyfriend. 

 

“Leave them alone, Pads.”

 

Peter couldn't look away. James and Lily were here, in Diagon Alley. They had also come separately from the group, probably to spend the morning together, just the two of them. Everyone had arrived early. Everyone had met up with someone. Nobody had bothered to invite Peter.

 

Wormtail checked his watch.

 

_ 12:25 _ .

 

“ _ Wanker _ ,” he muttered under his breath. Sirius barked a laugh.

 

“Yeah, what a  _ tosser _ ! Being late 'cause he had to snog some chick! C'mon, Worms, let's go teach them a lesson!” Sirius swept his legs off the table and stood up, beaconing Peter to follow suit. Remus plopped down into the empty chair, clearly not wanting to involve himself in whatever mischief his friends were up to. Before Padfoot and Wormtail could wreck any havoc, however, James and Lily pulled themselves apart. Lily's face turned bright red when she noticed all three boys watching her. She tugged James’ arm sheepishly and the two of them headed over to the table.

 

“Hey…” Lily said, still slightly embarrassed.

 

“Hey, Lily,” Remus greeted her with a warm smile.

 

“Nice one, Evans. Way to make our boy late...”

 

“Stuff it, Pads,” James joked, giving his best friend a shove.

 

“Ooh, nice owl! Whose is it?” Lily was eager for a distraction.

 

“He’s mine! His name's Archimedes. Moony named 'im.”

 

“Cool…” James nodded in approval.

 

“Oh! Like from that movie, right?” Lily recognized the muggle reference that had gone over Sirius and James’ heads.

 

“Exactly!” Remus was glad that someone caught it.

 

“What movie?” Sirius cocked his head to the side.

 

“Nevermind, Pads. It's a muggle thing.” Remus grinned at Lily and gave Peter a cheeky side glance. The three of them grew up around non-wizards, and they enjoyed making references that James and Sirius didn't understand. 

 

“Doesn't matter. He's my new owl and I love him.” Sirius didn't like when the group was in on something that he wasn't a part of, a sentiment that Peter could relate to.

 

“He's beautiful, Sirius.” Lily smiled at her boyfriend's best mate before purposefully changing the subject to something everyone could enjoy. “So! Are you guys ready to go grab supplies! What's on everyone's list?”

 

The Marauders all pulled out their school supply lists and chatted casually about which stores they would hit up next. Peter clutched his list in his hand, scrunching the parchment roughly. This was the first time he realized how few classes he was actually taking with his friends. 

 

As the other Marauders prattled on about the plans for the rest of the day, Peter could feel a knot growing in the pit of his stomach, churning from within.

 

Wormtail took a deep, shaky breath and tried to steady himself. This September was going to be the start of his worst year at Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time trying a Peter chapter, completely from his perspective! It was actually kind of fun to elaborate on his character.
> 
> Poor Peter doesn't feel included these days. Maybe this is a preface for things to come. Maybe there's a reason that Peter finds a group of people that WILL include him...


	4. The Leaky Cauldron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Marauders are hanging out in the Leaky Cauldron, winding down after a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still might go back and edit this one, I don't know if I'm one hundred percent happy with it. But I really wanted to post something, so here you have it!

Five Gryffindor students were sitting at a table inside the Leaky Cauldron, nursing bottles of butterbeer, parcels and shopping bags scattered about their feet. The Marauders and Lily decided to have a late lunch to rest their weary legs before James inevitably dragged everyone with him to Quality Quidditch Supplies.

 

“I need a new broom. Mine's outdated!” James moaned when Lily asked him why they were all being forced to go with him. 

 

“Didn't you get a new one last year?” Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“You got new books last year, but here you are, buying more.” 

 

“I need these for school, you prat.”

 

“If you think making sure that Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup isn't a school priority, you're sorely mistaken!”

 

Sirius laughed, enjoying seeing his boyfriend being tormented by his best friend. He fully agreed with James: Quidditch was equally as important as classes, if not moreso. Lily shook her head in mock dismay.

 

“I'm with Remus on this one. Who needs a new broom every year? I'm sure last year's broom is good enough…”

 

James looked at Lily, mouth agape, trying to decide whether or not his girlfriend was joking or if she really didn't care about Quidditch.

 

“Hey, Prongs, what're doing with your old broom anyway?” Sirius had a smile on his face that Remus couldn't quite read. James shrugged his shoulders and looked at Sirius.

 

“I was gonna sell it. Why, d'you want it? ‘Cause you can have it…”

 

“Don't you already have a broom, Sere?” Remus’ head tilted to the side as he eyed his boyfriend suspiciously. Sirius was up to something.

 

“Yeah, but you don't,” he said with a wink. Moony let out a sharp laugh before realizing that Padfoot wasn't joking.

 

“Wait, you're serious? You wanted the broom for  _ me _ ?!”

 

“Moony, my dear, I'm alway--”

 

“If you make that goddamn pun one more time, Sirius…” Lily was glaring daggers at Padfoot, completely exasperated from the number of “Sirius” jokes he'd managed to sneak in that day. If Lily didn't know better, she'd swear that he was doing it just to piss her off.

 

The boys laughed gleefully at Lily's reaction before Remus turned his attention back to his boyfriend.

 

“Sere, I'm not flying. I prefer my feet on the ground, thank you very much.”

 

“C'mon, Moons! It'll be fun! I could teach you!”

 

“Oh, bad idea, Moony. Don't let Pads teach you. He's the worst Beater Gryffindor has ever seen. You'd better let me help you out…” Sirius punched James in the arm.

 

“I'll show you worst Beater in Gryffindor…”

 

The joking and revelry continued as Padfoot and Prongs argued about Quidditch and who was a better player. Remus watched the two boys with a bemused expression, his mind wandering to thoughts of Sirius on a broomstick. Remus had spent years admiring Padfoot in his Quidditch uniform, but up until now, he was too shy to say anything. Now that he and Sirius were dating, he could take full advantage of uniformed Sirius Black, with those leather gloves that covered agile hands and the billowing robes that were always tattered and mud-stained at the edge. Remus let out a sigh, lost in his fantasy.

 

“Reme?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Remus shook his head lightly as he was pulled back into reality.

 

“Pay attention! I asked if you'd be willing to learn to fly… there's no point arguing about who should teach you if you're not gonna learn anyway.”

 

Remus pondered for a moment. He thought of Sirius behind him on a broom, arms wrapped around his waist, guiding his hands to the right location on the handle. Perhaps flying could be fun.

 

“Fine. I'll  _ try _ it. But don't expect me to join the Quidditch team or anything. I have N.E.W.T.s to worry about, I don't need any distractions.”

 

James guffawed, ruffling his already messy hair with his hand.

 

“Don't worry, mate. You'd never make the team.”

 

“Oi! Moony could make the team if he wanted!” 

 

The arguing picked back up and Remus leaned back in his chair, throwing Lily a smile. Their boyfriends really were lovable idiots sometimes. She grinned back, sharing in the same sentiment.

 

“Bloody fuckin’ hell…” The arguing stopped and everyone turned to look at Peter, who had just checked his watch before uncharacteristically cursing. “It's already half past five!”

 

Sirius laughed, sweeping his loose fringe out of his eyes. 

 

“No it's not. It can't be, we just ate lunch!”

 

James checked his watch before chuckling.

 

“Nah, Pete's right! It's half-past! For Merlin's sake, when the centaur-fucking hell did it get so late?”

 

“ _ James!” _

 

“Sorry! Sorry, Lily! When the centaur-fucking  _ heck _ did it get so late?” He gave his girlfriend a cheeky wink, only to be kicked by her under the table. “Merlin's beard, Lils! Don't injure me before the season starts!”

 

“Then learn to act like an adult in public,” she chastised, obviously having no qualms about hurting her boyfriend.

 

“Umm...Guys…” Again, the group turned to look at Peter, who was shifting nervously in his seat, fidgeting with his wand. “I… I have to go soon. I have dinner with my grandparents…” 

 

“These the muggle ones or the wizard ones?” Sirius asked, earning him a firm elbow from Remus.

 

“Muggle ones…” Peter clearly didn't think spending a Saturday night with his muggle grandparents was a good use of his time.

 

“Go have dinner with them, Wormy. With the state of the world, the way things are going right now, you should spend as much time with your loved ones as you can…” The four boys stared at Lily, darkness marring their expressions. 

 

“Way to kill the mood, Evans…” Sirius griped.

 

“Sorry, sorry! No war talk, I know… I just--”

 

“Not today, Lily. Please.” Lily was surprised that it was Remus who told her off. She looked into his bright hazel eyes before sheepishly looking away.

 

“I'm sorry…”

 

“It's fine… let's just… enjoy our summer. Or what's left of it…” He grinned earnestly at his friends. “We'll be back to eating in the Great Hall in less than two weeks. We might as well make the most of our N.E.W.T. free time.” 

 

“Moony, no one cares about their grades as much as you do,” Sirius teased.

 

“I'm sure Lily does. She's smarter than you wankers, that's for sure.”

 

Peter cleared his throat and tried to bring the group's collective attention back to himself. He needed to leave, he was already cutting it pretty close as it was; all he wanted was the opportunity to say goodbye to his friends before heading out, but their conversation kept getting side tracked.

 

“I...I have to go…”

 

“Here, Pete. I'll walk you to the fireplaces,” James offered, smiling kindly at his friend.

 

“Are… Are you guys gonna continue hanging out after I go?”

 

James glanced at the group, trying to find a polite way of telling Wormtail that none of them were ready to leave.

 

“Well, I still have to get my broom, but we probably won't hang around too long after that. Don't worry, Wormy, you won't be missing much.”

 

Peter nodded and got up, gathering his shopping in his arms. He waved goodbye to his friends, who all enthusiastically waved back. James stood up with him, giving a casual  _ see you soon _ nod to Lily. When the two of them left the table, Sirius turned to his other friends.

 

“So… double date?” Padfoot joked, wiggling his eyebrows stupidly. Remus kicked Sirius beneath the seat, knowing full well that Peter was still in earshot. They all knew how much Wormtail hated being left out, so they tried to be subtle whenever they spent time together without him.  _ It's just because we're couples _ , they'd always say.  _ If he had a girlfriend, he'd feel less like a fifth wheel _ . They all knew it wasn't true: they didn't spend time away from Peter because he didn't have a girlfriend. They spent time as just the four of them because Peter would always glare daggers at Lily whenever she was around, making her uncomfortable. He always seemed to be jealous of her relationship with James and it was causing tension in the group.

 

“So… how are you two?” Lily asked cheekily, deciding to change the subject.

 

“What a stupid question, Evans. What does that even mean,  _ how are you two _ ?” Lily gave Sirius a pointed look.

 

“It means: you spent an  _ awfully  _ long time buying clothing today.”

 

Remus’ face turned bright red as he focused his attention on a particularly interesting knot in the table. Sirius grinned.

 

“Like you haven't snuck away with Prongs before...”

 

“As a matter of fact--”

 

“What are we talking about?” James had just appeared behind Lily's shoulder, startling her slightly. 

 

“Where did you come from?”

 

“Well, you see, Evans, when a man and a woman really love each other, they share a super special hug and--”

 

“Stuff it, Pads.” 

 

Remus couldn't suppress a laugh, hearing his favourite shut-down coming from Lily's mouth. She was a fast learner.

 

“Oi!  _ You  _ stuff it, Evans!”

 

The laughter and arguing continued as the friends sat together, enjoying their evening. Peter’s absence went unnoticed, the conversation hadn’t skipped a beat. Remus felt guilty that he didn’t particularly miss Wormtail and mentally noted that he would have to check in on his friend and try to make more of an effort to include him. 

 

“Right, you guys ready for Quality Quidditch?” James asked, standing up from the table. Lily gave a little nod and stood up with him. Remus glanced at Sirius, wondering if his boyfriend was thinking the same thing he was.

 

“Actually, Prongs, I think Moons and I are just gonna head home if that’s okay.” 

 

He was.

 

“Really? Didn’t you guys already… You know what, nevermind. Fine, go home.” James pouted, obviously upset that his friends didn’t want to go to his favourite store with him. Lily put a gentle hand on his arm.

 

“James, I asked them if we could have some time just the two of us…”

 

_ Nice save, Evans, _ Sirius thought, barely suppressing a grin.

 

“Oh. Why didn’t you say so? Bugger off guys, I have a date.”

 

“Oh, we  _ will _ ,” Sirius said with a smirk, causing Remus’ ears to glow red. 

 

“Don’t listen to him. We don’t...we won’t… it’s not like that… I just… he’s just giving me a lift home is all…” Sirius loved how inarticulate Remus became when he was flustered. It was adorable.

 

Lily swung her arms around Remus’ neck and gave him a tight hug, whispering in his ear.

 

“Have  _ fun _ , Remus”

 

He continued to blush as she pulled back and waved at her friends. Hand in hand, James and Lily walked away towards Quality Quidditch, leaving Sirius and Remus behind in the Leaky Cauldron. 

 

“I don’t want this day to end…” Remus mumbled to his Butterbeer, swirling it around carelessly in the bottle. He took a deep swig to finish it off before setting it down on the table. 

 

“It doesn’t have to end…”

 

Remus looked up to find Sirius’ smokey grey eyes flooding with that look he always got whenever he had a new idea for a prank. Remus raised his eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling up almost imperceptibly.

 

“What did you have in mind?”

 

Sirius shrugged and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. 

 

“Padfoot…” Remus wanted to know Sirius’ plan. He could feel his heart racing, the same way it always did when they snuck out at night after curfew to cause trouble around the school.

 

“This place is interesting, you know… Diagon Alley, I mean. And the Leaky Cauldron. Did you know, other than the Floo network, the Leaky Cauldron is the only entrance to Diagon Alley?”

 

“Don’t give me a history lesson, Padfoot. Tell me your idea!”

 

“Tom over there has been running the Leaky Cauldron forever. He owns the place, you know…”

 

“ _ Sirius!”  _ Remus was getting annoyed. Sirius was being purposefully obtuse and it frustrated him beyond belief.

 

“It wasn’t always a bar, Moons…”

 

“I don’t care what it was, just get to the bloody point!”

 

“It started as an inn. Still is, actually. There’re rooms upstairs and everything…”

 

“God dammit, Sirius, just--” Remus stopped. He saw the menacing smile on Padfoot’s face and realized exactly what he was implying. “Oh… No, Sirius. I can’t. Mum and Dad are expecting me back tonight…”

 

“So tell them you’re staying at James’ place.”

 

“And I can’t really afford to spend a night here…”

 

“I’ll pay for it, it was my idea anyway.”

 

“And I don’t have a change of clothes or a toothbrush or anything…”

 

“You know you’re a wizard, right?”

 

“Sirius…”

 

“What? It’s a brilliant idea. Why are you so hesitant?”

 

Remus sat back in his chair with a deep sigh. He had never spent a night with just Sirius and himself; they had plenty of nights with friends where they would sneak away, but this felt different. 

 

“What… what if someone sees us? What if we bump into someone we know?”

 

“We tell them we’re shagging and they can fuck right off.”

 

“ _ Sirius. _ ”

 

Padfoot reached out and took Moony’s hands in his own, ignoring his boyfriend’s cautious glances around the room. 

 

“Moony…” Remus looked up at Sirius, grey eyes staring lovingly into hazel ones. Sirius’ expression was tender and calm; a peculiar look on his normally jovial face. “Remus. Stay the night. Consider it practice for when we graduate…”

 

There was something forlorn about the way Sirius spoke. Remus was feeling it, too: the feeling of dread hanging over their heads, knowing that in less than two weeks, they’ll be taking their last train ride to Hogwarts, starting their last year. They’ll write their last exams, play their last Quidditch matches, eat their last Christmas feast, pull their last pranks. This time next year, everything would be different.

 

“Okay.” Remus spoke softly, squeezing his boyfriend’s hands gently. Sirius squeezed back. “But no funny business.” 

 

Padfoot leaned forward to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek. 

 

“I make no promises,” he purred gently in Remus’ ear.


End file.
